Would a mother be so admired for doing what he’s doing?
Facebook’s CEO received thousands of positive messages for changing his daughter’s diaper, which makes some ask: is Mark Zuckerberg advantaged by sexism?
After their daughter was born earlier this month, the Zuckerbergs pledged to donate 99 percent of their fortune, which is estimated at about $45 billion. That brought Mark Zuckerberg a lot of popularity.
However, it seems that his noble gesture is about to be eclipsed by another one, received with the same enthusiasm by his fans: posting a photo of himself changing his newborn’s diaper. The image received almost 2 million likes and over 20,000 shares in just a few days. Add to that the almost 45,000 comments which praised him for being such an amazing father.
The media took it forward, naming him the “most adorable dad” or even “dad of the year”. These made Yahoo Parenting ask what if instead of Zuckerberg, it was a famous mother posting a similar picture of herself? What would the public opinion have to say about her? And last but not least, it should make everybody ask – is Mark Zuckerberg advantaged by sexism?
According to Barbara Greenberg, a clinical psychologist approached by Yahoo Parenting, a mother would never get that kind of praise, since she would be expected to embrace parenthood and things like changing her daughter’s diaper would be considered fulfilling her duty. The psychologist has absolutely no doubt that Zuckerberg is glorified for changing his daughter’s diaper only because he is a male.
Other mothers are asking on their blogs if a photo with Priscilla instead of Mark doing the exact same thing in the exact same place with the exact same baby would generate the same response and enthusiasm and even how many likes and shares would she get.
Co-founder of Dad 2.0 Summit, John Pacini, who wishes to change the public perception regarding modern fatherhood, claims that he is waiting for the day in which a father changing a diaper would not be received as something sensational anymore.
On the other side, Pacini argues that Mark Zuckerberg might represent the rethoric which might generate the change. Presenting himself as a father, doing what any father should do for his kid might become emblematic if more people like Zuckerberg would set the tone. Pacini concludes that this is a validation of the message that millennial dads should be more involved in their children’s care.
Image source: Facebook
